Saving Magic
by IndiaMoore
Summary: When 2 young children are accused of magic, Arthur is torn between his laws and his heart. No Slash Arthur/Gwen possibly some bromance too ... Chapter 14 now up people!
1. Chapter 1

Arthur had grown to hate sentencing magic wielders. Ever since his last battle with Morgana, every person he sentenced seemed more and more innocent in comparison, all of whom had been forced into this life due to the battle.

Today was no different than any other; at least until the bounty hunter had arrived. He and Gwen had been in the council chambers when the door was forced open with a loud clatter, and in came a bounty hunter, dragging in a small girl and an even younger boy.

"What is the meaning of this!" Arthur demanded.

"No disrespect Sire," the hunter explained. "My name is Huntley and this thing," he gestured to the girl, "was found using magic."

Arthur's heart sank in his chest. "And what of the boy?"

"He's innocent!" shouted the girl, surprising Arthur with the harshness of her voice, for it sounded as though she had not drank anything in days. "He's my brother; he was only with me because he has nowhere else to go. He's too young to understand, please, he doesn't know why people hunt me, so just spare him."

"Do you confess to using magic?" Arthur asked.

"I confess to being born with magic Sire, I cannot always control when I use it, if I feel like someone I care about is in danger. That's how he found me," she glared at Huntley, her eyes clearly showing the distain for the man before her.

"No one is born of magic child," the hunter scoffed.

"Morgana was," she replied sadly, and Arthur was shocked to see the hunter slap her across the face, knocking her over and leaving her wheezing for breath.

"How dare you mention that name in front of His Highness!" he bellowed at the girl, kicking her hard in the stomach as she tried to get back up. Arthur could only watch as the little boy behind her screamed, clawing the guard holding him in a desperate attempt to reach his sister.

"Cundrie!" the boy shouted. "Please, let her go!"

"ENOUGH!" Arthur bellowed, standing between the now shaking girl and the furious bounty hunter. "Huntley, it is up to me if a prisoner is to be punished not you, and I do not condone such violence." Arthur turned to the little boy, who had managed to escape the guard and was now attempting to stop Arthur or anyone else to touch Cundrie.

"Gwen, will you please take these two (he gestured to the two children) to Gaius, to tend to their wounds?"

"But Sire, I must insist that…"

"Of course my Liege," Gwen interrupted Huntley's attempts to stop Arthur's request and after asking a guard to pick Cundrie, she left with the boy to the physician's chambers

* * *

Once in the room, the guard placed the girl on the bed, and then hovered, clearly unwilling to leave the queen alone in a room with a convicted magic user. Once she convinced him that Gaius would be along soon, he left, and to her surprise the girl Cundrie spoke.

"Thank you your Highness. Not many would stay in a room with a magic user, let alone help us."

"You don't seem to have done any harm," Gwen replied, "besides you are barely able to stand let alone attack me."

Now that Gwen could see Cundrie up close, she could see the huge bags under the girl's eyes, along with how skinny and pale she looked. The boy was in slightly better condition, less thin and with fewer bags. Both their clothes were very rugged, and neither looked as though they had been able to relax in days, which Gwen reminded herself they probably hadn't. She also noticed bruises like spatters of paint across the girl's body. Cundrie saw Gwen grimace as the state of her, and so tried to apologise.

"I know that Alis and I look a little rough, however I can assure you it is not by choice. We don't have anywhere to live or any money, and the little food I can get is often stolen or old. I try to give more to him, as he deserves a better life than living with a condemned magic user, but no one will take him in, nor will he leave me. As for the bruises, well, let's just say that Huntley isn't the only one that feels the need to eradicate magic users." Seeing Gwen's guilt she quickly added, "It's alright though! I suppose I have to get used to the idea that very few will accept me, and my one regret is that I am ruining Alis' life as well."

Gwen's heart instantly went out to the girl. She couldn't help being born the way she was born, and yet here she was prosecuted every day just for being alive. _No one deserves to live like this,_ Gwen thought, _especially not children._ Gwen now knew that she would get Gaius to do whatever he could for them; meanwhile she would prevent anyone else from hurting them. She was determined that Arthur would condemn them without hearing them out.

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**Thanks for reading and don't forget to REVIEW!****I don't know when I'll next update, I suppose it depends on reviews, and also whether I am working on my other story or not. **

**See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey again Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy the next chapter**

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As Gwen paced around the room waiting for Gaius, Arthur was left to deal with Huntley.

"Are you sure you want to leave your wife alone with that thing, Sire," Huntley spat, clearly disappointed that he had been stopped from beating the girl.

"Gwen can handle herself, besides, I doubt the girl was in much condition to fight," Arthur said cruelly, clearly unhappy with the way Huntley was talking about the child.

"No offence, Sire, but people with magic cannot be trusted, no matter their condition. I would have thought you would know that by now, with Morgana, "Huntley muttered. Arthur's eyes blazed with anger.

"Huntley, you have no right to tell me how to run my kingdom, especially not after the way you are treating its citizens. Yes, Cundrie has magic, but I am not my father and will choose how I give people a trial, not assume everyone is guilty. That is my decision, not yours." The two men glared at each other. "Now get out of my sight," Arthur continued, "And don't you dare mention Morgana in my presence again, or you will regret it." The two men glared at each other, before Huntley stormed out of the room.

Arthur sighed and slumped back in his throne. He knew that magic was evil, but how could he face executing a girl so young? He would ask Merlin, when he and Gaius got back from their trip

* * *

"Gaius, are you sure that this is safe?" Merlin asked for the umpteenth time.

"I told you Merlin, if you want to strengthen your inner magic, you must be prepared to take risks." Gaius replied, "Now jump!"

The two of them looked down at the drop. Then, deciding the young warlock had thought about this long enough, Gaius pushed Merlin of the cliff top and towards the forest floor.

Merlin shrieked and all thoughts of spells flew out of his mind. Suddenly his eyes glowed golden and a huge gust of wind slowed his fall, making his landing no harder than when he fell of his horse, instead of the bone crushing injury that should have occurred.

"Gaius I did it!" he yelled.

"Well done my boy," Gaius chuckled. "Now, we best get back to the castle, before Arthur sends out patrols to find us like last time!"

Merlin chuckled, and then froze. "Wait, how am I supposed to get back up?"

* * *

Gwen smiled as she saw Alis lean against Cundrie carefully, so as not to aggravate her injuries. She frowned when Cundrie tried to hug him, but was hindered by the chains clamped around her wrists.

"Why don't I remove them?" Gwen asked kindly, sensing the girl's anguish.

"It's alright; I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Cundrie replied. Seeing Gwen's confusion to that statement, she continued. "These chains are magic inhibitors; they block my magic so I can't use it. In fact any spells I use just cause pain depending on the strength of the spell. So really, it's ok if you'd rather leave them on."

Gwen almost sighed at the stupidity of the girl. "I may not entirely trust magic, however I trust you, and so by removing them I put my faith in you." With that, Gwen grabbed a lock pick and started to undo the manacles. Once they were released, Cundrie shivered, and then looked at Gwen with watery eyes.

"Thank you," she said. "You have no idea how nice it feels to have my magic back."

"Why, what is it like without it?" Gwen queried.

"To some they would feel no different, but I was born with magic, and once taken away it felt like I was only half there. It's like losing a limb, I need it to survive."

Gwen smiled, as she watched Cundrie cuddle Alis, whispering into his ear words she couldn't understand.

"I was speaking in the Old Tongue, the language of magic, in case you were wondering," Cundrie told Gwen. "I was telling him I was ok, and that we will both be fine."

"I didn't realise that magic had a language."

"It has many languages, but I like this one as it has simple translations so I can make up spells. Not that I would use any..." Cundrie stuttered.

"It's alright," Gwen answered. "I am not Uther. Why," she began, "don't you show me some magic."

Cundrie's eyes widened as she stammered, "You… you want me to s-show y-you m-magic?"

Gwen blushed, quickly saying, "You don't have to."

Cundrie smiled then whispered, "_Cennan glǽm"_

Around Gwen, flowers seemed to appear in mid-air, surrounded by glowing balls of gold and blue light before shimmering and fading away. Gwen laughed in amazement, admiring the beautiful colours and sensing how pure the magic was. She knew at once she was right not to condemn the pair, and that she was definitely not letting them get hurt any more than they were now.

Suddenly the door to the room burst open, and in walked Merlin and Gaius.

"Ermmm… Hi?"

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**Will try to update this week as will probably be on hiatus for the next month :( sorry but have three weeks of gcse's then a week of work experience at the Empire Theatre Liverpool :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_Around Gwen, flowers seemed to appear in mid-air, surrounded by glowing balls of gold and blue light before shimmering and fading away. Gwen laughed in amazement, admiring the beautiful colours and sensing how pure the magic was. She knew at once she was right not to condemn the pair, and that she was definitely not letting them get hurt any more than they were now._

_Suddenly the door to the room burst open, and in walked Merlin and Gaius._

_"Ermmm… Hi?"_

Merlin walked into Gaius' chambers, grumbling about mentors and climbing cliffs, when he noticed that he was not alone. Gwen was standing there looking amazed and yet also slightly guilty about something, and there were two children in there, both looking rather worse for wear.

"Ermmm… Hi?" Merlin murmured, wondering why his friend looked so guilty, as Gaius rushed past him towards the children.

"Is something the matter my Lady?" Gaius enquired, Merlin noting how the younger of the children shrank behind the other's shoulders.

"Yes Gaius, Arthur wanted me to get these two children looked after, and looking at their wounds I believed that you would be best to help them."

"Of course Guinevere," Gaius said, going to the boy and checking him over first. Seeing he was only slightly malnourished, he simply took a tonic of the wall and handed it to Merlin telling him to give him a dose. That task done, he turned to the girl, tutting at the bruising around her ribs, arms and legs and inquiring how she received them.

"I don't remember how I received them all, I only know that some of them I received from beatings, some from when I've been running and the bruises on my ribs are from when Huntley kicked me."

Gaius noted the now obvious shoe shaped marks around her chest, before bandaging them, careful not to jostle what he suspected was a fracture. He then gave her a sleeping tonic, getting Merlin to lift her into the patient's cot. Alis then curled up next to his sister, before then falling asleep himself. The three adults stood in companiable silence.

"Gwen, who is Huntley?" Merlin finally asked, noting the disgust that had come across the woman's face when the girl had mentioned him.

"A horrible man, a bounty hunter who brought Cundrie and Alis here. He planned on selling them to Arthur the way he had sold others to Uther."

"Why would Arthur want to buy children?" Merlin asked.

Gwen sighed, hoping Merlin and Gaius would accept them the way she had and would help her.

"Because Cundrie has magic."

**Didn't want to begin with an A/N for once so here it is … THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND STORY ALERTS! You guys have made my day! This story is obviously more popular than my other one (the Fire Girl) so might take a longer hiatus on that one to focus on this one and will go back to that one later. Also to answer ****Aldryne21****'s question, I have not decided whether they know about Merlin, I think they will know of Emrys but not who he is. Will decide more details after my hiatus. See you guys later! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the reviews guys... you keep making my day ;D**

Merlin was stunned. Not at the fact that Cundrie was a magic user, he had sensed that the moment he had walked into the room, but at the fact that both Gwen and Arthur knew and still had protected her. Gwen was waiting for Merlin's response still, so Merlin tried to keep his face neutral, even though inside he was whirling in both pride and wonder.

"It doesn't matter," Merlin started. "I don't care that she has magic, Gaius and I will do what we can to help her. "

Gwen sighed in relief, glad that she had Gaius and Merlin on her side at least. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered why Merlin was so accepting of magic, despite what it had done to Camelot over the years, but she ignored it in the hope that it was nothing.

Gaius broke the companionable silence. "What did Arthur think of all this?"

"I don't know," replied Gwen, "He only sent me to get their wounds seen to."

"Well," Gaius said, looking over the two sleeping children, "We can only hope he is not as bad as his father."

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Arthur froze outside the door he had about to knock on, Gaius' words just reaching him. _"We can only hope he is not as bad as his father."_

What did that mean? Surely they didn't think he was going to mindlessly kill them, the way his father would have. He was not angry at the comment, only hurt. He turned away walking back to his room, not noticing the door opening slightly and Merlin's sorrowful eyes glancing back at him.

* * *

Merlin had noticed through one of the cracks in the door a glint of gold. _Arthur_. He was about to mention it when Gaius mentioned about Uther. _Oh no,_ he thought, dashing to the door to try and prevent Arthur from moving. But it was too late, he watched as Arthur stormed down the corridor.

"Oh dear," Gaius said, all of them knowing how much his previous comment would have affected Arthur. Merlin sighed, and then started walking to the King's chambers, knowing that Arthur would need an apology if they had any chance of protecting the magic users.

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**Ok I know I am on hiatus and that this chapter's a bit short but because I am at home ill I figured I should at least upload the next chapter for you guys. Am back on hiatus now but I hope you enjoyed this little treat and I hope you will REVIEW :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**I noticed I haven't done many disclaimers so here's one. I don't own Merlin, nor will I ever, except maybe in my dreams or if I become rich :)**

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Arthur stood glaring at the raindrops that were slowly trickling down his window; his arm leant against the stone archway. What was it with his friends and not trusting him with magic? Firstly it was Merlin, with his friend Will (although a small voice in his head reminded him that Merlin **had **tried to tell him), then Morgana, who had helped the druid boy without telling him, then turned against the kingdom, and now they were trying to stop him from seeing those two children. He was not his father! Arthur turned and punched his fist against the stony wall, the ache now radiating along his palm doing nothing to quench the despair and anguish that seemed to flood his mind.

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Meanwhile, Merlin had made his way outside of Arthur's room wondering how best to comfort Arthur. He knew that Arthur knew really that they trusted him; however it was a matter of making him believe that. Suddenly he heard a crunching sound coming from Arthur's room, followed by a muffled "_Ow,"_ and Merlin walked in to find Arthur nursing a bruised and slightly bloody hand.

"You know Arthur, I don't think the wall appreciates you hitting it," Merlin chortled.

"Shut up Merlin," Arthur replied, clearly still bitter about what Gaius has said earlier.

Merlin sighed. "Look Arthur, we all know you aren't your father, no matter what has been said. You have done many things that you are not proud of, but every time you have at least tried to fix it, and that is one of the major differences between you and Uther. Uther never learned from his mistakes (Arthur frowned at this, wondering what Merlin meant, but didn't interrupt him) and because of this it only brought misery and sorrow to his kingdom. You, on the other hand, have done everything to make this kingdom great again. Look at how much the kingdom has changed under your rule. You have knighted commoners, married one, hell, you even made me part of court! You have done things that your father wouldn't dream of doing, all because you followed your heart and not your head. Which quite frankly," Merlin smirked, "Is probably a good thing considering I'm still not sure that there is anything in there."

Arthur mock punched Merlin at that, a smile finally reaching his face, glad that Merlin had come to talk some sense into him. Merlin also smiled when he saw some of the self-pity in Arthur's eyes disappear.

"Now," said Merlin, "Let's get your hand treated and you can meet Cundrie and her brother. I am sure they will have woken up by now." Merlin turned out of the room, and with a slight twinge of trepidation, Arthur followed.

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**Hi again guys. I am officially ending my hiatus early so YAY, I'M BACK! I probably won't get the chance to update again until next Monday, as am at my friend's house next Saturday and Sunday. **

**Also I have noticed each of my chapters has been getting exactly three reviews each, which is really good :) however I want to try and raise that if possible.**

**As always review if you enjoyed (or just review!) ! :) **

**Thanks again **


	6. Chapter 6

Meanwhile, in Gaius' chambers, a very annoyed Cundrie was awake after the sleeping potion had worn off, and was now having a heated argument with the physician.

"But what if we were in danger! I can't escape if I'm asleep!" Cundrie yelled, which woke up Alis.

"Believe me child, you are in no danger here," replied Gaius, a slight twinkle in his eyes as he spoke.

"Fine," she huffed. Looking around the room she noticed they were missing someone. "Hey, where is that boy who was in here?"

Gwen and Gaius exchanged a look. "Merlin went to go and speak to the King. In fact," Gaius mused, "I imagine he and Arthur will be back here any minute."

No sooner had those words left his mouth, the door opened and in stepped the two men in question, Merlin smiling at the children and Arthur looking slightly uncomfortable.

* * *

Arthur was anxious about how to react in front of the two children.

"Whatever you do, don't be yourself." Merlin smirked. "Imagine trying to have a conversation with a prat."

Arthur snorted, and then as they opened the door to Gaius' chambers, he froze not sure of what to say. Tension smothered the room like a thick fog, seemingly impossible to find an escape from.

The thing that did take the tension surprised Arthur. Alis, after studying the king for a few moments, said, "If you're the king, why is your crown so small?"

Everyone chuckled at that, Arthur included, before he replied to the boy, "Well, if you were the king, what type of crown would you have then?"

"A bigger one, that's for sure," Alis answered, before he frowned as everyone laughed again. Cundrie smiled at Alis' naivety, and then turned to the king.

"Hello again Arthur." Arthur noticed that although she had managed to keep her voice even, her hands were trembling slightly, betraying her fear around him.

"Hello Cundrie." Arthur said, wishing he knew what to say.

Even with hunter's instincts, Arthur's guard was thrown at the next statement that came out of the girl's mouth.

"Thank you," Cundrie started, "For saving me from Huntley. People like him don't tend to stop violence, only start it."

"There is no need to thank me," Arthur replied, humbled by her words. "I will protect every person who enters my kingdom, no matter the circumstances." Arthur's mind made, he spoke with more volume this time. "I have made my mind up on the matter of your punishment." Cundrie began to shake more violently, whilst Alis took a protective stance in front of her, as did Gwen.

"I have decided that for the mean time, I will leave you to live a life in Camelot, magic included, under surveillance. If at the end of 2 weeks, I don't see you as a threat, you will be granted a permanent home here."

Cundrie sagged back onto the bed with relief, speechless, as Alis and Gwen beamed at him. Merlin smirked, and then patted Cundrie on the back comfortingly. Gaius kept a neutral expression, although his eyes were twinkling slightly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Huntley, who had been hiding in the corridor next to the physician's chambers, gnashed his teeth in anger. How dare a child outwit him and rob him of his money! Well, he mused, he** would** get his revenge, and when he was done, that stupid brat would wish she had never been born…

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**Ooooooh, cliff hanger! Yes, I know I am late updating (holds hands above her head) but I hope that won't affect my reviews (puppy dog eyes). I was at work experience at the Empire Theatre Liverpool (I got to see Chicago backstage! :D) I will try and update soon. I will also be updating my profile with what I plan to do over the summer! :) Please review :)**


	7. Chapter 7

When the people of Camelot first heard that Arthur Pendragon had let a person with magic roam free, they had originally thought it was a bad joke. When they found out that not only was the rumour true, but that the child in question had been given permission to continue to stay in Camelot AND use her powers freely, shocked seemed like an understatement. Rumours as to the King's mental health swirled around the kingdom like a fine mist, and it had taken a speech from both Arthur and Gaius to quench them. Next of course, came the talk of enchantments, which again had meant another speech to quell the people's fear, although some people were still not convinced that sorcery had not played its part. In the end though, people simply accepted the anomaly to the rules, and some had even taken to holding her in some sort of reverence.

Of course Cundrie was not amused by all the attention. If anything, it made her more on guard than she had been when she had first met Arthur, only engaging in conversation if she was spoken to and not performing magic in front of anyone. She was adamant that she had found a new life and she was not going to screw it up by upsetting anyone. It was only with Gwen that she truly opened up, both of them lacking female company and finding kindred spirits in each other, Gwen hiring Cundrie as her new maid. It was with Gwen's encouragement that she began relaxing in public, and a week and a half after she had arrived, she finally performed magic in public.

* * *

Cundrie and Gwen had been shopping for material in the market stalls. There were a few guards around, however Gwen had kept Cundrie and herself slightly further away from them, as they made Cundrie feel uncomfortable. Suddenly a man, who Gwen had noticed was shadowing them, pulled out a knife and flung it towards the young Queen. There was no time to pull herself out of the way, and she closed her eyes in anticipation for the weapon to strike. When she felt no pain, she opened her eyes and gasped. Cundrie was stood in front of her, with eyes like golden flames, and the knife that had been soaring towards her was frozen in its path. The scene before her eerily reminded her of when Merlin had saved Arthur's life from Mary Collins all those years ago, the circumstances substantially similar. Then as soon as the assassin began to flee, Gwen snapped out of her shocked stupor. "Guards, seize that man," she yelled, and after they had checked their queen for any signs of injury, they charged after the felon. Meanwhile, people in the market had stopped what they were doing and stared at the two young women who had just been attacked, before someone began clapping. Soon the whole crowd were applauding and yelling gratitude to Cundrie, who was standing shell shocked to their reaction. Eventually, Gwen managed to escape the crowd with Cundrie before heading to her chambers and thanking Cundrie profusely. That moment didn't leave Cundrie for the rest of her life, nor did the smile leave her face for a long time.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, the assassin had slipped out of the guards' clutches and pulled back his hood in disgust, revealing his true identity. Huntley growled. Not only had that little brat foiled his attempt to kill the queen, she had even been applauded for using that disease she called magic. Well, soon she would be begging him for mercy; soon she would pay for what she had done to him. It was almost time.

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**Yes I am back. SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED... I AM VERY LAZY! That and I have been very busy with my other fic The War Against Magic, if you haven't read it I recommend it! As with my other story I will be updating fortnightly and I hope you have't lost faith in me :( so please review :)**


	8. Chapter 8

It was late, with most people fast asleep in their beds or simply winding down after a long day. Cundrie and Alis were sleeping too, not far from Merlin's chamber, who couldn't seem to succumb to slumber. His magic was tingling under his skin, similar to the way it would when Arthur was in danger, however it seemed to want him to protect a new person. Cundrie.

Merlin was confused. Why would he need to help Cundrie. No one had done anything directed towards her, had they? He sighed, before slipping out of bed. It couldn't hurt just to check up on her, could it?

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In the meantime, a dark shadow of a figure slipped into the courtyard, the only thing visible other than a darkened mass being a pair of silver cuffs that shone in the light of the moon and a bow with one arrow already fitted. A watch guard spotted the menacing figure and began to run to the warning bell, before collapsing as an arrow pierced him through the heart. The figure continued on leaving a trail of corpses and silent calls that would never sound. And still the figure continued on.

Finally it stopped, and smiled, before opening the door to the room before it. Inside lay two children. Inside lay his, Huntley's, revenge. He drew an arrow as his menacing smirk grew even broader. As he drew close to the bed, he watched as the girl shivered and unconsciously moved closer to her brother. Huntley thought about killing her then and there, then changed his mind again. After all, he thought, there's no rule that says that when you're kidnapping, you can't be cordial and nice. He grabbed the chains that were strung around his back and was about to grab the girl, when 3 things happened.

One, he heard someone shout out in the corridor. Secondly, he saw Cundrie's eyes snap open, along with Alis'. And finally he watched as they gasped, before he found himself flying across the room to face a man with blazing golden eyes.

* * *

"What. Are. You. Doing." The man said furiously. Suddenly a gasp of recognition sounded from behind the pair.

"Merlin?" Cundrie cried. "You have magic?"

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**Yes I know I am extremely late updating and that excuses are bad AND that its short but I hope you can forgive me. To make it up to you I am offering cookies to any reviewer who can find the quote from the film 'The Chase' :) probably won't update this story before next Saturday so am just gonna say have a great Merlin season 5 everyone! I look forward to seeing if anyone can guess the quote! :) bye **


	9. Chapter 9

Merlin was glad he had decided to follow his instincts instead of staying in bed. As soon as he had crept out the room (although not without using magic to pull a blanket higher over Gaius' shivering shoulders, something which had become part of his routine), he began to continue on along the corridor. As he passed a large window, he glanced outside before doing a double take. The courtyard was the scene of a massacre. Bodies were strewn across the ground, each one with an arrow protruding out of them. He began to feel more worried so he decided to quicken in pace, the bad feeling increasing.

Finally as he reached the corridor of Cundrie's room, he spotted Sir Gwaine strolling back (if his drunken steps could be called strolling) and yelled at him to sound the warning bells. Without waiting to see if Gwaine had heard him through his drunken stupor, he burst into the doors of Cundrie's room. There he found a large man holding a set if chains over a girl whose eyes held surprise and fear. Merlin knew what he had to do. His eyes burning a fierce gold, he practically dragged the figure back, revealing a now frightened Huntley, before hissing with rage," What. Are. You. Doing!"

He was about to interrupt the man's cowardly stammers when a gasp of recognition made him pause.

"Merlin? You have magic?"

He sighed. He had known this day would come eventually, it was very rare a magical being ended up going past him without eventually realising he had magic (Morgana and Morgause being one of those rare cases that didn't). He ignored Cundrie for the time being though as he turned his attention back to the whimpering man before him.

"Huntley, you're coming with me. You have committed crimes against the Queen and Camelot. For those crimes you will be tried and most likely found guilty by his Majesty, King Arthur Pendragon. How do you feel?"

The cowardly man's eyes grew wider with each word, before he grinned an evil grin and shoved Merlin over, who hit his head on the cobbled floor with a resounding crack and lay still, unconscious.

"You want to know how I feel about that? I feel that is all a bit unfair, and that you my friend could bring me a fair bit of money on the black market, so I believe it is you that is coming with me."

He managed to get a single brass cuff around the slender wrist if the warlock and had begun wrapping the chain around the unconscious warlocks form, before a sharp object digging in between his shoulder blades made him pause in fear.

"Hello there Huntley, I've heard a lot about you from Merlin. Speaking of whom, if you don't step away from him immediately, I'm going to run you through where you stand."

Huntley turned around to reveal the two children he had originally been there to retrieve along with Sir Gwaine. He had been so fixated in his battle against Merlin he had not noticed the two kids sneaking past him, who in turn had found Gwaine still drunkenly swaying in the corridor. Apparently, although the words 'sound the bells' hadn't registered in his mind, the words 'Merlin' and 'danger' did.

All Huntley could do was gulp, his plans foiled once again.

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**Yes I have updated! Thank you to everyone who reviews... They are like mini cans of Red Bull that fuel the imagination! Cookies to all reviewers during the run up to Merlin season 5! Soooooooooo excited! :D**

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**Quick update: yes I am very late with updating (again :() but I WILL be updating tomorrow. Just to give you an idea of what wentail happen, the new chapter is entails fatherly Gaius and protective Arthur :) sorry again**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Are you sure he'll be alright?" Gwaine asked Gaius again, infuriating the physician no end.

"For the 10th time Gwaine he'll be fine! I've checked the wound he got from where his head impacted the floor, and there is merely some bruising, there is no cracks and therefore he probably would have woken by now to tell you he was fine himself had I not drugged him so he could sleep off the worst of it. Now, go wake up Arthur and make sure he knows what has happened."

Gwaine sent one last glance at Merlin, before turning and striding out of the room. Meanwhile, Gaius planted himself on the stool next to Merlin's bed, clasping the unconscious boy's hand. It had been a very stressful moment for the elderly physician when Gwaine had burst into his chambers clutching the warlock and declaring Huntley had attacked him. It was hard to imagine anyone wanting to hurt Merlin.

Suddenly, a knock at his chamber door startled him out of his brooding. "Come in," he said, mindful not to wake Merlin. The door opened slowly, revealing a worried looking Cundrie stood behind it.

"I-I'm sorry t-to disturb you Gaius, but I w-wanted to check on Merlin," she stuttered, looking at her feet as though she feared Gaius would scold her.

The physician sighed. "He'll be fine," Gaius assured her. "Although I l do have to inquire as to if you know what happened, Gwaine only mentioned Huntley had tried to attack him."

Again, Cundrie's face sank to look at her toes. "It-it was m-my fault," she sobbed. " He's o-only here because o-of me and M-Merlin was trying to s-stop him with his m-magic."

Gaius gasped. So Cundrie knew about Merlin's magic, and he could guess that his magic was the reason Huntley had wanted Merlin. Of course the child would be as self blaming as Merlin. Maybe it was a common occurrence among magic gave the shaking girl a warm hug, feeling her shudder against his touch. "It's not your fault," he murmured kindly, "Why on earth would you blame yourself for something you have no control over."

"S-so you really don't blame me?" Cundrie asked, eyes hopeful.

"Of course not," Gaius replied. Cundrie immediately wrapped her skinny arms around the old man, making him smile fondly at her. "Now get some sleep. I suppose Merlin will want to speak to you in the morning."

Cundrie smiled at the warlock in question, then back at Gaius, before leaving the room quietly, only to bump into a disgruntled Arthur.

"I am so sorry Sire," she squeaked seeing the anxious look on Arthur's face.

Arthur didn't reply, merely acknowledging her with a tilt of the head and continuing in the direction of the physicians chambers.

Cundrie smiled, the bond between Arthur and Merlin truly was there for all to see. She smiled to herself a moment longer, then began strolling back to her chambers before her brother came looking for her

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**Sorry for the late update (again). Lets just assume my updates are irregular. Hope you enjoyed it. More Arthur/ Merlin bromance next chapter :) don't forget to read and review :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Arthur stormed into the physicians chambers. Although he had woken up at the sound of the warning bell, he had not wanted to leave his wife unguarded, especially after she had been shot at earlier that day. It was only when Gwaine had burst into his chambers, declaring that Huntley had broken in and tried to capture both Cundrie and Merlin, that he left the room, leaving Gwaine to tell Guinevere what had happened.

Arthur was confused. He understood why Huntley had tried to kidnap Cundrie, after all, he not only had a grudge against her but the fact she had magic made her a good sale for a black market. What he didn't understand was why he had tried to capture Merlin. He assumed the only reason could be that Merlin had witnessed the crime and Huntley had wanted to silence him. But then why wouldn't Huntley have killed him, Arthur had seen several bodies of the guards Huntley had shot on his stroll to the physician's chambers, surely another death wouldn't have marred the man's conscience.

As Arthur reached the joint chambers of Merlin and Gaius, he bumped into a small figure. He vaguely recognised in the back of his mind that it was Cundrie, but his desire to check up on Merlin overrode his ability to hold conversation, and he strode past her, a tilt of his head ensuring she knew he had accepted her apology. He reached Gaius' chambers, knocking loudly on the door.

"Come in," came the tired voice of Gaius, clearly wanting some sleep bit the constant flow of visitors making it difficult.

Arthur entered, and Gaius immediately stood up from the wooden chair perched next to Merlin's bed where he had been residing.

"Is there anything I can do for you Sire?" the old physician inquired.

"No, no I'm fine, I only came to see how Merlin was," Arthur replied, and the physician visibly slumped back onto the stool, smiling fondly at the boy in question. From what Arthur could see, Merlin looked fine if not a little pale, with only some slight blood spatter matted in his hair to suggest he was doing anything other than sleeping. The King picked up a cloth and began to dab away the blood, noticing how Merlin frowned at the touch, but never awoke, much to his surprise.

"Shouldn't he have woken up by now?" Arthur pondered aloud, and Gaius merely smiled at the King's concern, before replying,

"I thought it would be better to let him sleep the rest of the night. He's put his body under some strain and it might help him to sleep off the worst of it."

Arthur smiled, but as he turned to face the door he remembered something that had been plaguing his mind earlier.

"Gaius, I was wondering, why would Huntley try to kidnap Merlin? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Merlin wasn't killed, but why?"

Gaius visibly shuddered before composing himself with a mask of innocence and skillfully replying, "I'm afraid I'm as clueless as you, but I suppose we'll never know the answer."

"Perhaps not," said Arthur, "Or perhaps-". Arthur stood up and strode out the room. There was only one person who could give him the answers he so desperately craved, and he was lying in the dungeons below his feet.

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**Hello loyal viewers :) here is a long AN. Thank you to every single person who has read, reviewed and followed my story so far, that's 273 views this month alone :) Now here is where we hit a rut. I do have the beginning of the next chapter planned, however I am stuck on where to take the storyline next. I don't want the remaining storyline to be too long, however it does need to complete the story, at leat enough so that if anyone wanted a sequel they could get one. So come on guys, get your creative juices flowing**

**P.S. Did any of you see last nights Merlin episode? The best of this series so far I think! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Huntley groaned as his face collided with the dungeon floor. Once more his plans had been ruined by that little brat! Only this time there had been another. How Uther would be turning in his grave to see so many magic users roaming freely around Camelot. To Huntley however, this was no longer about the law. He would have his vengeance! Even if it cost him his life! He sat upon the ground and plotted all the ways he could exact his revenge.

Suddenly the door to his cell flew open with a loud bang, revealing none other than King Arthur himself. As Huntley stood up to bow before the King, Arthur stepped forward and let all his anger surge forward with one hard fist to the other man's face. Huntley flew back until he hit the wall, where he sank to his knees with one hand clutching his now bloody nose and shivered under the intense gaze of the young king, who had no sympathy for the coward before him.

"Good evening my Lord," Huntley said, his voice wavering.

Arthur didn't initially reply, instead choosing to instead to pull the man back to his feet. "I'm only going to ask this question once and you are going to answer me, or else you will be begging for death. Do I make myself clear?"

Huntley took one look at the king's rage-filled eyes and knew at once that Arthur was fully prepared to carry through with what he said. The cowardly assassin nodded his head in compliance.

The king released his grip on Huntley, allowing him to sink back to the ground before starting to talk again.

"I know why you tried to capture Cundrie, as part of some petty sense of revenge." Arthur paused, noting how the man scowled at the mention of the little girl's name. "I also know why you killed my men (Arthur's fists clenched together as he thought of the fate that had fallen upon many of his guards only a few hours earlier) and I even know why you attacked my wife. But why did you try and capture Merlin?"

Huntley looked stunned for a few moments, before a wicked smirk grew across his face.

Arthur continued as though trying to prompt his prisoner. "Why didn't you just kill him, like you did all the guards? Surely another life would not mar your already blackened conscience?"

Huntley let out a little cackle of madness that sent fear rocketing into Arthur's core. "I am happy to tell you why I tried to capture Merlin. I was going to sell him to the Black Market. He would have made me a fortune," he declared, luring Arthur to continue the conversation and savoring the sense of unease that rolled off the king.

"How would Merlin make you rich? He's just a servant!"

Huntley cackled once more. "You mean he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Arthur asked, his voice tense with frustration and nerves.

"That 'just a servant' Merlin, has-"

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**Feel mean leaving you on a cliffhanger, but then what can I say? Sorry for the lack of updates but have had loads of major exams up until now. On the plus side I am on holiday in Key West at the moment so some sun is just what I need to get the creative juices flowing :) finally thank you to everyone who has reviewed/followed/ favourited this story and I hope y'all have a fab Christmas!**

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**P.S. Some shameless p****romoting, but I am dying for more readers for one of my other stories, 'The War on Magic". Fancy giving it a try anyone, leave me a review for what you thought for both stories :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As Gaius sat stroking Merlin's forehead, he noticed that he was quite warm. Too warm, in fact. Gaius held his hand over the warlock's head, feeling the heat rippling off him.

What on earth? he thought, before immediately deciding it was dangerous for the young man to sleep in his current state. He held a small bottle of smelling salts under his ward's nose, watching as hazy blue eyes forced themselves open. There was no way Merlin could get this sick so quickly. Suddenly Merlin began convulsing slightly, small gasps of pain coming out of his mouth.

"Merlin! What's wrong!" Gaius asked, frantically trying to calm down the warlock.

"M-Magic. H-Hurts, Gaius, it burns. P-Please," Merlin gasped.

Suddenly his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell backwards on the mattress, still convulsing.

Gaius looked at his ward. His magic? What does he mean? He began looking for anything that his eyes might have missed, when they focused on a chain around his wrist.

"Oh goodness!" he muttered, then much louder so that Leon, who was keeping watch in the corridor, could hear him, "Sir Leon! Get Arthur quickly please! I fear Merlin has very little time left without his help!"

As heavy footsteps echoed along the corridor, indicating Leon had done as he requested, he sank down stroking Merlin's forehead and prayed Arthur would arrive soon.

* * *

"How would Merlin make you rich? He's just a servant!"

Huntley cackled once more. "You mean he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Arthur asked, his voice tense with frustration and nerves.

"That 'just a servant' Merlin, has-"

"Sire!" Leon yelled as he burst into the dungeon chambers, "Gaius has sent for you. There's something wrong with Merlin! He said you should come immediately!"

Arthur's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. What was happening to his kingdom, he thought to himself anxiously.

He turned to leave, but as he reached the door he glanced back at Huntley.

"If this has anything to do with what you did to him, you will be facing the pyre faster than you could blink an eye."

And with that, he strode in the direction of Gaius' chambers once more.

* * *

Gaius stared agitatedly at the door, before glancing back down at the writhing form of his nephew, and more importantly, the piece of metal locked around his wrist. He sighed and waited for Arthur to arrive. He could do nothing to help Merlin until he arrived.

He didn't have to wait very long, as soon after that the door flung open again, revealing a very angry looking Arthur and anxious looking Leon, who both gasped when they saw the state of Merlin.

"What on earth has happened! I've only been gone a quarter of an hour and there was no way he could have gotten this bad from a simple head wound!" Arthur bellowed, indicating to Merlin, whose eyes were now surrounded by blackened circles and cheeks sunken in.

"I fear you are correct Sire. Do you see that band around his left wrist?" Gaius asked.

Arthur peered at Merlin, and sure enough, a thick band of intricately decorated iron was clamped around his manservant's wrist.

"Isn't that a magic suppressing bracelet?" Leon supplied helpfully.

"Yes," although it appears to have had a profound effect on Merlin. On an ordinary magical being it would merely block their magic, however for some reason it seems to be blocking Merlin's life force, causing him to become drastically ill," Gaius concluded, conveniently missing out the fact that Merlin's life force WAS magic, hence why it was being blocked.

"What can I do Gaius?" Arthur asked desperately.

"You must force Huntley to give you the key. And you must hurry up, for you've seen how quickly Merlin is deteriorating," Gaius concluded, staring back at the shivering form of his ward.

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**AN: I am soooooooo sorry for the late update :( I was supposed to upload this on Tuesday however rehearsals for my dance show and meetings with Girl Guiding Org got in the way :( however thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story 50 REVIEWS! Thanks to frecklefaceknows for that 50th review :) will be sat there buzzing in my geography resit tomorrow :)**

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**P.S. To those of you who read the 'The War Against Magic' I have just reloaded the most recent chapter with a few corrections. NO REVIEWS for the most recent chapter? Really? please give me feedback :(**

**Thanks again everyone**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A furious looking Arthur and Leon stormed past Cundrie's chambers, making her wonder what else could have happened to possibly elicit such a response. Alis clung tightly to his sister's wrist as she began to follow them, before shaking his head and pointing in the direction of Gaius' chambers.

"They came from that way," he stated. "There must be something wrong with Merlin, we should go see if we can help him."

Cundrie couldn't falter her brother's logic, so the pair of them scrambled towards the elderly physicians chambers, fear slowly clenching at their hearts.

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They weren't alone. Guinevere was fed up of waiting for her husband to return from whatever had occurred, and so had slipped on a warm cloak before stepping into the cool corridor. Her curiosity only intensified as she noted that there were no guards patrolling the corridors, the majority of noise seeming to emit from the courtyard.

As the young queen peered out of one of the large archways that overlooked that area, she was shocked to see a mass of bodies still littering the yard, with scores if knights clearing the massacre.

_What on earth could have happened_, she thought to herself, before making up her mind to see Gaius, for she wanted to make sure he was alright.

As Gwen made her way towards Gaius' chambers, she noticed two small figures creeping along in the inky black corridors. As she got closer, she noticed it was Cundrie and Alis, so she decided to follow them. _Maybe they hold the answer as to what has happened._

* * *

Cautiously, Cundrie knocked on the elderly physician's chambers, before gently tugging down on the latch and opening the door. Inside, the sight that greeted the two children shocked them. Merlin was convulsing heavily, gasps and whimpers escaping the young warlock's mouth every few seconds. Gaius was frantically trying to comfort his unconscious ward, pressing an icy compress to the clearly fever ridden forehead.

"What happened Gaius!" Alis yelled, startling the elderly physician out of his fumbling.

"Alis, Cundrie, is there anything you need, it's only I'm very busy right now," Gaius asked wearily, his voice combining exhaustion with the fear for his ward.

"We saw Arthur go past our room looking very angry, and we wondered whether it was something to do with Merlin," Cundrie said. She leaned in closer to Gaius. "Is it something to do with his magic?" she asked cautiously. Gaius dropped the glass beaker he had been holding, but worse still, a gasp was elicited from behind Cundrie, revealing a very upset looking Gwen.

"Did you just say that Merlin has magic!"

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**I know this is both short and late, however I've spent the last week trying to extend it to no avail. However I am already working on the next chapter, so if you want to suggest what you want next feel free :)**


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